Machine for making asphalt shingles



May 8, I928 6 1,668,563 R. T. JOHNSTON MACHINE FOR MAKING ASPHALT SHINGLES Filed March 20. 1923 2 Sheets-Shae. 1

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T. JOHNSTON MACHINE FOR MAKING ASPHALT SHINGLES Filed M rch 20. 1923 2 sheet -sum 2 Patented May 8, 1928.

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT T. JOHNSTON, OF NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FLTNT- KOTE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A-COEPORATION 0F MASSACHU- SE'I'TS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING ASPHALT SHINGLES.

Application filed March 20,1922. semi No. 626,442..

Machines now in use for the manufacture of asphalt shingles, such as are made of felt saturated and coated with asphalt and often surfaced with crushed slate, or similar material, commonly range in length from 150 to 200 feet, the tendency being toward" longer machines to provide alouger time to properly cool the sheet. The greater portion of this length is taken up by the saturating and cooling mechanisms. also require from 18 to 20 feet of head room to accommodate the looping and, festooning devices of the cooling mechanism. v

The total length of sheet material in these machines averages'over 1000 feet, the proportion being 650 feet in the loops and festoons and 350 feet in the remainder of the machine.

The movement of the sheet through this machine is not continuous, the several mechanisms not being geared together, the festooning mechanism separating the mechanism for cutting the sheet into shingle units from the saturating and coating mechanisms. For this reason an operator is required to feed the sheet by means of a clutch mechanism from the festooning devices to the cutting and delivery devices as'it is needed.

Owing to the very dong space required for these machines and the great length of the web, it is thepractice in many roofing plants to divide the machine into two entirey separate units, saturating the sheet and rewinding it into rolls in one machine and coating and slating the previously saturated sheet and cutting it into finished units in another machine. A serious shortcoming of these machines is the loss of paper and other materials in first threading the machine and from the constant breakages of the-very long sheet, also in the production of defective and partially defective goods resulting lack of continuity of operations. Slowing down or stopping the sheet even momentarr,

1y causes it to scorch in the saturating tank and the coating to congeal before the slate is applied and also the coating and slating to i so be unevenlyapplied, and as the exact 10821-1 tion of the defective goods is not readily discernible, a greater quantity of finished goods than are actually spoiled must be diseardedor sold as seconds. Much of the material thus partially treated is not inwcondltion to be sold as seconds and has no salyage These machines from the "invention, among which value since the presence of asphalt therein renders it impracticable to prepare it for reclamation and utilization in the paper machine.

The present invention has for one of its ob ects the provision of a machine comprismg a plurality of properly synchronized mechanisms so constructed and related that the total length of the machine may be materially shortened and the'n'ecessary head room reduced. The decrease in length and height "of the machine is accomplished by the employment of intensive methods of saturation and cooling, and by properly synchronizing the various mechanisms the prod uct maybe made of substantially uniform quality and with less labor than heretofore. A further and very valuable feature of the invention relates to means whereby the felt is automatically removed from the saturant when it is desired to stop the machine, the felt already saturated being coated, surfaced and otherwise completed before the entire machine comes to rest, the machine being then threaded with dry felt in preparation for subsequent operation. WVhen the machine is again started, the felt is again returned to the saturant and the usual later operations then resumed automatically in proper timed relation.

By this means substantially all the waste material comprises thedry felt extending bcvond the saturator when the machine is stopped which is salvaged and returned to I the paper machine to be again felted into sheet material.

The machine whenstopped is thus ready threaded for immediate resumption of operations and substantially none of the mate- 'rial treated thereby is incompletely treated forming section-s of unreclaimable waste.

Means is also provided for controlling the various mechanisms independent of the automatic means to provide for initial adjustment, testing, or other purposes.

The various mechanisms may also be assembled complete units so that as improved units are developed they may be sub-' stit-ut'ed for the former ones without disturbing others in the machine.-

Many other advantages result from this might be mentioned the increased capacity of a plant per unit of floor space, fewer operatives necessary for proper operation, and decreased liability of reakage of the felt web and consequent waste, delay, and nonconformity of the quality of the product.

Further objects and advantageous details and combinations of parts will appear from a more complete description of an embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fi ure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing the various operating mechanisms assembled for the complete machine.

Figure 2 is a diagram of driving mechanisms and control circuits therefor.

Figure 3 is a detail of a magnetic clutch release.

Figures 4 and 5 are elevational details of a valveactuating mechanism.

Figure 6 is a vertical section through an automatic starting and stopping controller. Figure 7 is an elevational detail thereof.

Referring first to Figure 1, the felt enters the machine either from a roll or directly from the paper machine, as desired, at the right hand end. a series of drier rolls A, though with certain types of saturating mechanism it may be unnecessary to employ these driers. However, they are here shown as they might be necessary or desirable in certain instances. From the rolls A the web of felt W passes to the saturator B. As shown this saturator is of the vacuum type disclosed and claimed in my application for patent Serial No. 626,439, filed March 20, 1923. It might, however,-., be of any other suitable t pe in which the saturation is effected by intensive methods instead of being passed through an open saturating tank under atmospheric pressure. Other saturators adapted to carry out intensive methods of saturating are disclosed and claimed in my applications forpatent Serial Nos. 445,877 and 445,878, filed February 17, 1921. The saturator shown will be described more in detail but it is suflicient at the present time to state that it not only saturates but coats the web of felt with asphalt and has provision by which the web may be removed or immersed in the saturant as may be desired. 1

After passing through the saturating and coating mechanism B' the web passes to a suitable coating or surfacing device for applying the slate or other granular surface material. This is shown at C and may be of any suitable or usual type. As shown it comprises a supply hopper 1 and a distributing hopper 2, the distributing hopper having rotatable therein an agitator 3, the parts being so desi ned that while the agitator 3 is being rotate the gr'nular material is sifted down on the upper, ace of the web, but on stopping the motion of the agitator the application of the granular material ceases.

Next the web passes to a suitable cooling As shown it first traverses.

means shown at D. While this cooling means might be of any desired type in which cooling may be effected rapidly, as shown it is of the type described more fully and claimed in my application Serial No. 629,225,

.filed March 31, 1923. For present purposes it will be sufiicient to state that this cooler comprises two pairs of upper and lower feed rolls 10 and 11 between which is interposed an inclined table 12 carrying a series of pipes 13 perforated in their upper faces through which water may be flowed upwardly into contact with the lower face of the sheet material which passes down thereover. The water is supplied in sufficient volume'to insure cooling of the sheet by the time it reaches the lower end of the table, the water not bein driven off in the form of steam flowing own to a drain tank 14 from which it is removed. The web of material then being cool, but wet, is passed over an air jet 15 which causes the adherent water to be blown therefrom and then as it passes upwardly over-the adjacent feed roll 11, a series of flame jets from pipes 15 impinge thereagainst, this serving' to vaporize the remaining moisture on the sheet, the materialpassing these jets so rapidly that the heating effects only its surface, the heat being readily absorbed by the main body of the web which is delivered to the succeedingmechanisms in cool and dry condition.

N ext the web may pass to a talc or micaapplying device shown at E whichmay be of any suitable type, referably similar to the vacuum machines or applying bronze powder such as are commonly employed in connection with printing presses. This device is shown only diagrammatically since it has no power operatmg means and does not therefore enter into the sequential control of.

the various mechanisms such as will be described. This coating mechanism E is shown as supported from the cutting mechanism F by which the web is cut into the shingle units as desired and from which they are delivered to any suitable counting and packaging mechanism, shown at G. These mechanisms may be of well known form and Wlll therefore not be further described. 0

Referring now to Figure 2 the drive mechanism for the various units is diagrammatically indicated. At 20 is shown a driving motor by which all the mechanisms are actuated, this motor being shown as driving a main shaft 21. The drying rollers .A are driven from the main shaft 21 by means of gearing '22 which may be clutched to the shaft 21 by means of an electrically actuated clutch 23. In alinement with the shaft 21 is a second shaft 24 which may be clutched pose in this drive a manually actuable clutch 28.- A shaft for driving the slating device is also driven through gearing 31 and a magnetic clutch 32 by the shaft 24. A pair of shafts 33 each preferably having a manually operable clutch therefor are geared by a gearing 34lto the shaft 24 and are connected to drive the feed rolls 10 and 11 of the cooling mechanism. Similarly shafts 35 and 86 are connected through gearing 37 and 38 to the shaft 24 to the slitting and chopping devices of the mechanism F, and the mechanism G may be also driven therefrom.

The various manually operable clutches above mentioned are shown as of the friction type, and they may, if desired, be so designed as 'to allow slip in case the tension on the web at any point should become excessive. The various mechanisms may thus be so driven as to exercise a gentle draft on the material sutlicient to feed it properly without danger of breakage. i

The clutches 23, 25, and 32, as shown, are

' electrically operated for the purpose of permitting them to be controlled successively in order to stop and start the various mechanisms 1n definite sequential orders. For

throwing these clutches into clutching engagement are shown electromagnets or .sole noids 40, 41, and 42, while the clutches are normally held out of engagement by springs indicated at 43, 44, and 45. These clutches may be held in engagement after having been thrown therein by the energization of their respective actuating magnets by latch mechanisms, such as is shown in Figure 3 in which a clutch lever shown at 50, normally held in un-clutching position by means of a spring 51, when thrown into clutching position passes beyond a latch hook 52 of a latch lever- 53 pivoted at a fixed point 54 andwhich drops into position to hold the lever 50 in clutched position shown in dotted, lines. With this construction it is unnecessary, therefore, to maintain the actuating magnet energized to hold the clutch in' engaging position, it being only necessaryito throw the clutch into engaging position whereupon the latch so retains it. Means are provided for releasing the latch to permit the clutch to open, such means comprising a solenoid 55 positioned above the latch book 52 and by the energization of which this book 02 is raised out of engagement with the lever 50, whereupon the spring 51 immediately throws it to unclutched position. Such a clutch control is employed for each of the clutches 23, 25, and 32 of Figure 2. the release solenoids for the latches being indicated-at 60, 61 and 62, respectively.

Besides thecontrol of the driving devices of the various mechanisms, it will be noted that, as before stated, the saturator may be manipulated to immerse the web of material within the saturant or to raise it. therefrom.

As shown in Figure 1, the saturator comprises a tank for containing the saturant having at opposite sides vertically extending throats 71 through which the web may pass into and out of the tank. These throats may be closed more or less by a pair of gates 72, each gate having a feed roller 73iat its lower end which, when the gates are closed, cooperates with a lower feed roller 74 to feed the web. The roller 74 is always positioned beneath the level of saturant in the tank 70, this tank being supported in an outside tank 7 5 into which the web is initially led before passing'into the tank 70 and out of which it is led after passing therethrough. Within the tank 70 is also a lower feed roller 76 with which cooperates an upper roller,77. The roller 77 is vertically movable within the tank, being carried to move along a threaded rod 78 projecting through the top of the tank 70 and having agear 79 thereon. The gates 72 also engage threaded rods 80 having gears 81 at their upper ends and between the gates 72 and-the upper and lower feed rollers within the tank are positioned guide bars 82 which are also vertically adjustable on threaded rods 83. These rods also have gears at their upper ends so that by rotation of any one of the gears all the threaded rods are rotated in unison in such manner that as the upper rollers 7 3 and 77 are raised the bars 82 are lowered until these parts take the position shown in dotted lines where they are entirely above the level of the saturant. The web is then fed under the rollers 73 and 77 and over the bars 82, being entirely out of the saturant. When the bars are raised and the upper feed rollers lowered, it is evident that the web is immersed in the saturant adjacent to the rollers but it extends out of the saturant over the bars 82. This is the normally operative position of the parts in which the saturation is effected by passing the web into the saturant in the tank 7-5 beneath the first upper feed roller 73 and then alternately out of and into the saturant in the tank 70 and finally out of tank 70 beneath the level of the saturant in the tank 7 5 where it is coated as it passes to any suitable form of scraper or ice then in order that the coating and surfacing with the slate or granular material should be applied at the proper time, the material saturated should also be immediately further treated as though the machine were not to be stopped. If this is done the web already saturated is completely finished, the web feeding into the saturator thereafter .being fed above the level of the saturant the machine is already threaded with the,

felt, the first action should be to immerse the felt in the saturant in order that the treatment may be started and then the further operations should be performed on the saturated portion in proper sequential order.

For the purpose of controlling the mechanisms in this relationship, an automatic means is provided by which the sequential stopping of the various mechanisms may be initiated when it is desired to stop the machine to leave in the machine when it finally stops, untreatedv felt, this mechanism being also operative to initiate the actions of the various mechanisms in their proper order to treat the felt with the saturant and then to efiec-t the proper later operations. Such a mechanism is indicated in detail in Fig ures 6 and 7 and diagrammatically in Figure 2. Referring to these figures, indicates a controller drum fixed to rotate with a shaft 92 within a casing 93. Also fixed tothe shaft 92 is a worm: wheel 94 with which meshes a worm 95 fixed to a shaft 96 of a motor 97. This motor 97 is controlled through a manual switch comprising a contact 98 carried by a lever 99 and which may be projected between a pair of spring contacts 100 to close the circuit to the motor. By rotation of this motor the drum 90 is rotated with a definite slow speed in one direction and this drum 90 is formed to serially effect the making of contacts in order to control the electric clutches for the various mechanisms and the motor M. The switch lever 99 has fixed thereto a button 101 which may be depressed by the operator to start the rotation of the drum 90. In

order to insure the stopping and starting of this drum .in proper relation to the various contacts, it may be provided with a flange 102 having a pair of notches 103, 104 therethrough so designed as to permit one end oi the lever 99 to ass therethrough. When one of these notc hes is in position for the lever to pass therethrough, the drum is in machine running or stopped position. In either case'if the button 101 is depressed to close the circuit of the motor 97 the drum 90 starts its rotation and the'flange '102 passes in the we of the lever 99 so as to prevent the brea ing of the motor control means I ime a spring 105 acts to throw out the' 'contact 98 whereupon the motor 97 stops e 1 a The drum 90,.as above stated, is provided with contacts for properly energizing the solenoids of the magnetic clutches and 'for energizing the'motor M For this purpose it is in electrical connection with one side of a control circuitthrough a slip ring with which engages a brush 111 leading to extf'n'otch- 103 or 104'is one side of a suitable source of potential T.

At 112 is shown a bar of insulating material carrying a series of brushes contacted in proper order by aseries of contacts on the drum, these brushes leading to the solenoids of the clutches and to the motor as will be described. The solenoid 40 for throwing in the clutch 23 is connected to the brush a and to the opposite side of the source of potential from the brush 111. The release solenoid 60 for this clutch is similarly connected to the brush 6. The brushes 0 and d may be connected in manners to be later described to the motor M. The brush e conmeets to the release solenoid 62. The brush 7 connects to the clutch-actuating solenoids 41 and 42. The brush 9 connects to the release solenoid 61.

For the purpose of controlling the motor M to raise and lower the web, a motor reverse mechanism has been devised. Referring to Figure 1 it will be noted that one of the gates 72 has fixed to move therewith a rod 115 which is slidably guided at its upper end. This rod has fixed thereto apair of spaced abutments 116 and 117 adapted to impinge on an arm 118 of a reversing switch shown diagrammatically at S in Figure 2. While the'connections may be made in any suitable manner, as shown this switch is so connected as to reverse the electrical connections to the armature of the motor, the ter: minals thereof being shown at Z, m, and a. As the gates are lowered the abutment 117 engages the switch arm and by moving it disconnects the armature from t e terminals m and-n and connects as shown in full lines in Figure 2, the terminals m and Z, the terminal m being connected to the opposite side of the armature circuit from its previous connection. The terminal Z is connected to the brush 0 and the terminal a tothe brush d, hence if the switch is in the dotted line position of Figure 2 and the brush (Z be contacted with a segment on the drum, the motor M is rotated in a direction to lower the gates 72, which as above noted, lowers the feed rolls and raises the bars 82 to imnierse the web in the saturant. When the web is in immersed condition the abutment 117 striking the switch arm acts to reverse the switch S, disconnecting the terminal a and establishing connection with the-contact Z. As this breaks the connection to the place until the abutment 116 throws the reverse switch to its opposite position, stopping the rotation of the motor and leaving it in connection to be rotated in the opposite directionwhen contact is again made 1 through the brush (1.

Assuming that the machine is to be started and the drum '90 is rotated by themotor 97 in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig ure 7, depression of the button 101 starts the rotation of the drum from the position shown in Figure 7 to a position where the lever 99 may pass through the slot 104:. As shown the sequence of action is as follows. Contact is first made through the brushes a and 0 so that the solenoids 10 are energized to start the rotation of the mechanism A and to start the rotation of the motor M to immerse the web in the saturant. The material is then fed from the drier A to the saturator, this material being taken up in the increase in the length of web when the Web is immersed in-the saturant. As soon as the web is fully in its normal saturation path, feed of the rest of the machine is eflected through the energization of the solenoid 11 through the contact 7" and at the same time the slating device is set in operation by the energization of the solenoid 4:2. lhe throwing of the clutch 32 may also serve to turn on the water for the cooler D and also the gas for the flame 15, it being desirable to employ a pilot light for igniting the gas as soon as it is turned on. The machine now is in its normal running condition, the drum 90 being stationaryin the lever 99 engaging with the slot 104:. When it is desired to stop the machine the button 101 is again depressed, whereupon the motor 97 starts further rotation of the drum 90. The first action in stopping is to start the raising of the web from the saturant by energization of the motor M through the contact brush (1 and also to stop the action of the drier A in feeding material to the saturator by releasing the clutch 23 by contact with brush 6. By this means the material in the-saturator is taken up through the succeeding mechanisms as the web is removed from the saturant. As soon as this has been effected the motion of the drier A is again resumed by contact of the brush a was to feed the material through the machine in order to permitall the web already saturated and coated in the saturant, to be surfaced, cooled, coated with talc, cut and finished.

As soon as the saturated and coated material passes the surfacing mechanlsm G,

i the clutch release solenoid 62 is energized through the brush 0, thus stopping the slating, and as shown, at the same time the water supply, air and gas are cut off byth'e movement of the clutch lever which may actuate control valves 150, 151, and 152 therefor in the manner clearly shown in Fig ures 4 and 5. As shown in these figures the air and gas valves 150 and 151 are mounted in a common valve casing, while the water valve 152-;is'shown as in a separate casing. All three might be in a single casing or they might be separate with a common stem if desired however, if they are intended to be actuated simultaneously. As shown the stems of these valves have actuating arms 153 having pins 154 thereon projecting in slots 155 in the clutch lever 50. If desired the water, gas and air might be controlled by the clutch 25 instead of by the clutch 32, or the water might be controlled by the clutch 32 and the air and gas by the clutch 25. lhe feed of the web then continues until the material saturated has been completed and then the entire mechanism stops, the solenoids 60 and 61 being then energized by contact of their respective control brushes with drum segments. This leaves the machine when stopped with a web of dry felt threaded therethrough in condition to resume operations immediately when desired according to the cycle above described.

It is preferable that the circuits through the various control solenoids for the clutches may be controlled independently of the automatic mechanism and for this purpose manually operated switches for each circuit have been indicated grouped at J. The provision of these switches and the various manually actuable clutches is for the purpose of permitting the mechanismsto be controlled independently of each other as for the purpose of adjustment, repairs and the like and to permit the web to be initially placed in the machine inproper condition. When the web has been so placed these manual clutches and switches are thrown to their normal positions and the automatic control of the mechanisms is then utilized.

While particular cycles have been described, it should be evident to those skilled in the art that the mechanisms might be arllO ranged to function in somewhat difierent 7 order if desired and that many other changes and modifications might be made therein automatically disconnecting said mechanisms sequentially from said driving means in stopping the machine.

2. A machine of the class described, comprising mechanisms for progressively saturating a continuous strip of fibrous material and for performing different operations successively on the saturated material for the production of roofing elements, means for driving said mechanisms, and means for automatically disconnecting said mechanisms sequentially from said drivingmeans in stopping the machine and for automatically associating said mechanisms and driving means sequentially in starting the machine. 3. A machine of the class described com prising saturating mechanism, other mechanisms for performing operations on the saturated material, means to drive said mechanisms, and means for automatically disconnecting said mechanisms successively from said driving means in stopping the machine in such relation that substantially all the material saturated is also treated by the other mechanisms.

4:. A machine of the class described comprising mechanism for progressively saturating a length of fibrous material, other mechanisms for performing difierentoperations successively on the material, means for driving said mechanisms, and means for automatically disconnecting said mechanisms sequentially from said driving means in stopping the machine in such relation that substantially all the material saturated is also treated by said other mechanisms and that untreated fibrous material remains threaded through said mechanisms when the machine has stopped.

5. A machine of the class described comprising mechanism for progressively saturating a length of fibrous sheet material, other mechanisms for performing different operations successively on the material, means for driving said mechanisms, and means for automatically disconnecting said mechanisms sequentially from said driving means in stopping the machine in such relation that substantially all the material saturated is also treated by said other mechanisms and that untreated fibrous material remains threaded through said mechanisms when the machine has stopped. r

6. A machine of the class described comprising saturating and coating mechanism, and surfacing mechanism arranged to act successively on fibrous material, means for driving said mechanisms, and means for antomatically disconnecting said mechanisms sequentiall from said driving means in stopping t e machine in such relation that substantially all the fibrous material saturated is also coated and surfaced.

7. A machine of the class described comprising saturating mechanism, coating mechanism, surfacing mechanism and cutting mechanism arranged to act successively'on fibrous material, means for driving said mechanisms, and means for automatically disconnecting said mechanisms sequentially from said driving means in stopping the machine in such relation that substantially all the fibrous material saturated is also coated, surfaced, and cut.

8;. A machine of the class described comprising saturating mechanism, coating mechanism, surfacing mechanism, cooling mechanisin and cutting mechanism, arranged to act successively on fibrous material, means for driving said mechanisms, and means for automatically disconnecting said mechanisms sequentially from said driving means in stopping the machine in such relation that substantially all the fibrous material saturated is also coated, surfaced, cooled and cut.

9. A machine of the class described including a mechanism'for saturating sheet material having a saturant containing tank, and means for automatically removin the sheet material from the saturant in said tank when the machine is being stopped.

10. A machine of the class described including a mechanism for saturating sheet material having a saturant-containing tank, and means for automatically removing the sheet material from the saturant in said tank when the machine is being stopped, and for automatically returning the material into the saturant as the machine is being started.

11. A machine of the class described comprising mechanism for progressively saturating a length of fibrous material including a tank for saturant through which the. fibrous material may pass, and devices whereby the material may be immersed in the saturant or removed therefrom, and mechanisms for performing other operations successively on the material after passing said saturating mechanism, means to drive said mechanisms, and means acting automatically when the machine is being stopped to actuate said devices to remove the material from the saturant and to sequentially disconnect said mechanisms from said driving means in such relation that substantially all the material saturated is also treated by said other mechanisms and that untreated fibrous material remains threaded through the machine when the machine has stopped.

12. A machine of the class described comprising mechanism for saturating and coating fibrous sheet material with melted apphaltic material, mechanism for applyin granular material to one face of the coated sheet while hot and partially embedding the granular material in the coating, means for flowing Water on the opposite face of the sheet to cool the same, and means for surface heating said opposite face to dry off water adhering thereto, said mechanisms being arranged to act successively on the sheet material as it is fed therethrough.

13. A machine of the "class described comprising mechanism for saturating and coating fibrous sheet material with heated-asphaltic material, mechanism for applying granular material to one face of the coated sheet while hot and partially embeddingthe granular material in the coating,.means for flowing water on the opposite face of the sheet to cool the same, and means for surface heating said opposite face to dry off water adhering thereto, said mecl1anisms being arranged to act successively on the sheet material as it is fed therethrough and common means for driving certain of said mechanisms.

14. A machine of the class described comprising mechanism for saturating and coat ing fibrous sheet material with heated material, mechanism for applying; granular mate rial to one face of the coated sheet while hot and partially embedding the granular material in the coating, means for flowing water on the opposite face of the sheet to cool the same, means for surface heating said opposite face to dry off water adhering. thereto,

said mechanisms being arranged to act successively on the sheet material as it is fed therethrough, common means for driving certain of said mechanisms, and means for automatically connecting and disconnecting sa'id mechanism in definite sequence when the machine is respectively started and stopped.

15. ,A machine of the class described comprising mechanism for saturating and coating fibrous sheet material with melted asphaltic material, mechanism for applying a granular facing to the coated sheet material, mechanism for flowing water on the sheet to cool the same, and mechanism for surface-heating the material to drive off water adhering thereto, said mechanisms being arranged to act successively on the sheet material as it is fed therethrough.

16. A machine of the class described, comprising means for saturating and coating fibrous sheet material with heated thermoplastic material, means for flowing water on one face of the sheet to cool the same, and means for surface-heating said face to dry off Water adhering thereto, said means being arranged to act successively on the sheet material as it is fed thercthrough.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my s1 gn ature.

ROBERT T. JOHNSTON. 

